The present disclosure is in the general field of clamps for securing objects to supporting poles, and in particular, for supporting medical devices connected to a patient on a supporting structure or pole.
One of the more basic tools used in a medical environment is an intravenous (“IV”) stand. The typical IV stand includes an elongated member, or pole, that may be oriented either vertically or horizontally, and may additionally have any one of a variety of cross-sectional geometric shapes, including round, hexagonal, or square. The pole is placed upon and supported by a pedestal. Typically, IV devices such as supply bags or bottles of an IV liquid—normally blood, saline solution, or medication—are attached to the IV pole. These liquids are then delivered via a thin tube to a patient who is in a bed adjacent the IV stand.
As medical technologies and treatment techniques have advanced, the number of different IV liquids that are delivered to a patient has increased. As such, there are often additional devices that must be attached to the IV stand to manage, control, measure, and monitor the delivery of these various liquids. One such device is an infusion pump. In some situations, there may be more than one infusion pump, and there may be a controller or microcontroller that controls the infusion pumps. These devices are designed to attach to an IV stand, such as an IV pole, and allow for the attachment of numerous other devices in a collective and orderly fashion.
To minimize equipment costs and increase flexibility of use, these devices are typically required to be adaptable for use with various types of IV stands and poles. To accomplish this, such devices have typically been mounted on an IV pole by way of a clamping assembly. However, there are several disadvantages inherent in the currently available clamping assemblies. These clamping assemblies are sometimes capable of attachment to the IV stand in only one position. Thus, they may not be used interchangeably between a horizontally disposed IV pole and a vertically disposed IV pole.
Some clamping assemblies are limited as to the size or shape, or both, of the IV pole to which they can attach. While a clamp on a clamping assembly may be capable of attaching to a round IV pole, it may not be capable of attaching to a hexagonal or square shaped pole. Some clamps are limited to specific widths or diameters of poles to which they can properly attach. Each of these limitations restricts the adaptability and limits the usefulness of the clamping assembly.
An additional drawback is the effort required for positioning the clamp on a pole or repositioning the clamp on the same pole or on a different pole. Some clamps require two hands for positioning or repositioning the clamp, one hand for unlocking the clamp and another hand for moving or repositioning the clamp. Other clamps require an extended amount of time and effort to manually attach the medical device to the pole. Quick timing may be important in administering a prescribed medication, and time spent to attach or disattach an infusion pump from a pole could be crucial. In any case, it is desirable to make the movement and attachment of medical equipment for use easier and less time consuming.